Seeking Advice: Impact of Economic Climate on Internship/Job Prospects for International Student

[Aakash Ramesh]

Hi everyone!

Background:

• I hold a BS-MS degrees in Physics from a Tier 1 university in India.
• I have over 2.5 years of experience as a Model Validation Quant specializing in Market Risk.
• I have been admitted to Georgia Tech's MS in Quantitative and Computational Finance (QCF) program for Fall 2025 (Funding for most of the cost of education will be covered by an education loan of approximately $70,000).

As an international student set to join the MS QCF program in Fall 2025, which spans 18 months, I would like to know your opinion on how the current economic climate might impact my career prospects. Specifically, how might the ongoing tariff-induced trade wars and the possibility for a recession influence internship opportunities in Q2 2026 and job opportunities in Q1 2027?

Additionally, what are your thoughts on pursuing this program in the US given the current economic uncertainties with an education loan? Should I consider deferring my admission if given an option?

Any insights or advice from those with experience navigating similar economic conditions would be greatly appreciated.

Tagging @Andy Nguyen for better reach. I request you to tag QuantNet members who are best suited to answer this query. Thanks in advance.

 

[arohan]

The issue with the current economic environment is the uncertainty. Nobody knows whether the tariffs will actually stick or whether they are a means of negotiation. Nobody knows how exactly the stance on immigration impact STEM graduates and work visas. As such, nobody really wants to go out there hiring freshers, that too foreign students, due to all the uncertainty that exists. A year from now we may have a much clearer picture of what the economy and immigration policy will look like or we may have even more uncertainty. Its really a coin toss right now.

If you have a stable job, the option to defer, and/or the confidence to get at least admits as good as you currently have, I’d say wait out until the next admission cycle.